How often have you revved copy or a pitch or a deck or an icon not to be done?
It's all great work, but it's not totally informed work. That is -- your work is "finished" at point 1 in an internal process. An internal process that may have 10 steps -- your client's boss, his boss, other marketing stakeholders, legal, and other bodies in and out of the company.
Getting to step 1 approval is often arduous work. Brainstorming, honing, editing, feedback, honing some more and finally presenting to the client. So that THEY can present and socialize it internally. And by the time it comes back you it's butchered, or you have to start over again (even after acknowledged great work), and it's back to the drawing board.
It's the agency process. Presenting things that your client can then present without too much work on their part. Presenting things with a strong recommendation and even a presentation/buy-off strategy (e.g. "go for A and have B in your back pocket") -- NOT presenting options for them to choose from, presenting solid ideas and recommendations on course of action.
This is the difference between agencies who serve their clients well and those who don't understand what it's like to hold the internal position and serve their clients for their own interests.
This came home to me recently when I was the client. And the company serving me made me work harder to do their work than if I had done it myself.
NOT THE POINT. The point is to take work off my plate, not add to it.
It's not done until it's done.
The End.
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